The present application relates to a semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same. More particularly, the present application relates to a semiconductor structure including at least one resistor structure embedded in a middle-of-the-line (MOL) dielectric material. The present application also relates to a method of forming such a semiconductor structure.
A resistor, which is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance as a circuit element, is one of the most common electrical components present in almost every electrical device. In electronic circuits, resistors can be used to limit current flow, to adjust signal levels, bias active elements, and terminate transition lines.
In semiconductor devices, it is well known to have a thin film resistor embedded in the chip through either a damascene approach or a subtractive etch method. For example, and during back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) processing, a thin film resistor may be embedded in a MOL dielectric material. Prior art methods of forming thin film resistors embedded in a MOL dielectric material are complicated and expensive. Moreover, topography issues arise when embedding a thin film resistor in a MOL dielectric material which may degrade the final chip yield. Other issues with prior art methods of embedding a thin film metal resistor in a MOL dielectric material include variation of sheet resistivity and tuning precision.
As such, there is a need for providing a semiconductor structure that includes a resistor structure embedded in a MOL dielectric material that can circumvent some of problems mentioned above, while providing design flexibility.